Business and Pleasure
by mydoctortennant
Summary: Thomas Leodegrance is the leader in his field, when he let's his daughter run the next deal she gets more than she bargains for.


_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – DAY_

_Thomas Leodegrance is a high end businessman. He's got the suit, the tie and the charming smile._

_He dusts off his suit, adjusts his tie and puts on his full grin. It's deal time. He waits behind his desk ready for his next appointment._

_Arthur Pendragon is a young entrepreneur, he has high hopes and something he thinks will interest Mr Leodegrance._

_He waits at the door ready to enter. Before he does so he adjusts his jacket, neatens his hair looking in the reflection off of the name plate on the door and takes one final breath. He raises his hand and knocks on the door._

"Come in," Mr Leodegrance called out as he tapped out the final words of an email to his daughter. He was meeting her for lunch in the local French restaurant and if this meeting went well he hoped that his latest business partner would join him in celebration. He looked up from the computer screen as he hit 'send' and smiled at the young man.

He was clean cut, slightly nervous looking, with a briefcase in his left hand and his right extended as he reached the desk.

"Mr Leodegrance, Arthur Pendragon."

"Nice to meet you, Arthur," Tom said as he stood accepting his hand and shaking it firmly, "Please, call me Tom."

"Tom," Arthur acknowledged letting his hand loose and fumbling with the handle of his briefcase. Tom indicated to the seat opposite him for Arthur to sit and sat himself down in his plush office chair, "Thank you."

"Go ahead."

"Right," Arthur cleared his throat and opened his briefcase, pulling out a copy of the proposal and handing it over to Tom without saying a word. The elder male took it and began to read. After ten seconds he upturned his lower lip and looked at Arthur.

"So what? Explain it to me, Arthur. Why should Leodegrance Industries agree to work with Pendragon Homes? What's in it for me?"

"You see, Tom, these new apartments are in a prime spot in Central London. They will need amenities, which your company would provide. By having the ground floor dedicated to a complex of your stores it would provide not only the local community with something it lacks, but it will have the business of the apartment block and passing trade," Tom looked back at him, taking in what he was saying. He urged him to continue. He was listening, "There will be fifteen one bed and fifteen two bed apartments each housing two to four people. That's one hundred people that would be dependant on your store.

"The closest superstore is a five minute drive away, and in an area with little cars. The closest tube station doesn't go directly to the supermarket, having to travel at least thirty minutes on the trains and a similarly timed walk. Your store will gain trade from those suffering from that travel and the new occupants."

"You're talking sense, but what are the costs? Building costs, rental costs, compared to profits?"

"That's up to you. Either you pay for the building cost of your floor then it's yours to do with as you please, or we build it and rent it to you. Or, Tom, we organise some sort of merger. Whereby we both benefit and profit from each other."

"And how does that benefit my company?"

"I'll be honest with you, Tom, this is something new for us. But imagine; reaching out past the store. People will associate the building with you and your company. We merely become the builders and contracted workers."

"Then why Leodegrance Industries?"

"Because of all of the people I could ask; I respect your work ethic the most. Your company is respected and if you were to branch out in this way you wouldn't make a loss. People connect with you far better then they do or my father."

"Keep talking, Mr Pendragon and you might just swindle yourself a deal."

x

_INT. FRENCH RESTAURANT - LATER_

_Guinevere Leodegrance sits on her own at a table designed for four people. In front of her is a tea pot and cup along with a menu._

_She sits with her ankles crossed and her jacket on the back of the chair opposite her, her smart dress fitting every curve well. Her hair is long and curly and hangs over her shoulders as she reads the menu, waiting for her father._

_She is confused over why he asked her to get a table for three. She knows that he had a meeting this morning but it is rare that he would invite his co-workers for lunch._

_The door of the restaurant opens. Guinevere looks up and sees her father accompanied by a younger man._

Gwen stood up, flattened out the front of her skirt and held out her hand to shake the strangers. He accepted with a warm smile and if she wasn't mistake his eyes were roaming over her attire and not so discretely over the line of the top of her dress. Gwen knew now why her father had insisted on this meeting.

"Arthur," the newbie introduced, looking her in the eye.

"Guinevere."

"This is my daughter."

"I can see. The family resemblance is very clear," he followed suit as his potential new business partner and his daughter sat down beside each other, he opted to take the seat opposite Gwen, "What is it you do, Guinevere?"

"Liaison to the People," she answered quick smart with a friendly smile on her face.

"She is the company's right hand woman. She knows what the people want and how they want to have it. Her official title is 'Managerial Liaison' but she likes to side with the people more than management."

"As is my job, Dad."

"Strong-willed? I can see us being friends already."

"Weak-willed?" she sniped playfully.

"Equally as stubborn."

"Fantastic. Tea?"

"Love some."

Gwen waved down the waiter and asked for another round, this time for three rather than the solitary one. She could feel her father's eyes boring into her. He didn't like it when she played with them like this. But it was how she tested them.

Thomas Leodegrance liked to test is possible employees and benefactors. He liked to know he could trust them. It was a well known fact that his daughter was off limits to those that he worked with. Everybody in the business world knew it. But he liked to test them. Especially the younger men.

He knew his daughter had a way with the men to get them all on her side. If they made any sort of move on her the deal was off.

Everybody knew it.

He watched their exchange and already he could see that he was testing the pair of them. Easy banter, quick retorts; it was Lance all over again. He was the reason why he no longer allowed his associates near his daughter.

"So, Guinevere, why do you strive working for the people?"

"They are the people who will benefit from our company. If they are unhappy then they won't use the service we provide. What is it you do, Arthur?"

"I negotiate the deals on behalf of my father."

"A tyrant, so I hear," she answered at the waiter distributed a large teapot and two more cups onto the table. Instinctively Gwen lifted the lid from the teapot and began to swill the bag around in order to make the brew stronger, faster.

"Far from it," Arthur replied, pouring milk into his own cup before offering the jug to Tom, "just aging and unable to completely see reason."

"As a lesser part of my job I track other company heads. The second I hear that your company might be after ours I did my research," She said as she replaced the lid of the pot and poured the hot liquid into her cup.

"We are not after your company, Guinevere, merely looking to do a deal," he quirked an eyebrow and accepted as she started to pour tea into his cup as well.

"A deal I don't think we should make," she said, comfortable in the knowledge that he would understand, his father's company wasn't best known for being the most approachable in its field, "The public are threatened by your company. You make high quality home but they are not accessible by everybody."

"That's why we need you."

"We run a chain of middle-working class superstores, Mr Pendragon, what interest would we have in your company at all?"

"Business, Miss Leodegrance. Business."

"So you know I am unmarried."

"I did my research too, Guinevere, and I know that your father has been interested in sometime in the development of the city."

"I like him," she said to her father but still looking at Arthur. Her tone was business like; like she was approving a new layout for a flyer. She rocked back in her seat and turned to face her father with a bright smile on her face, "He seems impressive."

Arthur watched as father and daughter continued to talk as if he was no longer sat with them. He watched the way she smiled and the way Tom moved a curl out of her face being the affectionate father he appeared to be.

"Okay," Gwen said finally turning back towards Arthur abruptly, "We'll make a deal with you. I have a gap for two hours this afternoon. Once we're finished here you come with me and we can draw up some form of contract."

"Assuming I'm free this afternoon, Guinevere."

"You get one chance with me, Arthur, if you're serious about this deal; you'll be there."

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – AFTERNOON_

_In a board meeting room, Guinevere and Arthur sit on one corner of the table, hunched over a singular laptop and a flourish of papers surrounding them._

_Guinevere points at the screen with her pen and Arthur responds by deleting and editing part of the document on screen._

_From beyond the glass of the wall Tom can be seen looking at the pair hard at work._

"Okay, so we have term and conditions of the merge, shares of profits etcetera," Arthur confirmed flicking through the document in front of them.

"We, Mr Pendragon, are done."

"Yes, Miss Leodegrance, we are."

She held out her hand, Arthur willingly accepted and shook it firmly.

"I'll have our lawyers check over it, just to make sure you aren't trying to scam us; then we can start."

"I'm not trying to scam you, Guinevere."

"Please, Arthur, I'm not stupid. People like you like to take women like me on a ride," she said as she stood, collecting the papers around them into a singular pile, "In every way," she shot him a look out of the corner of her eye. He was looking up at he with his eyebrows raised, "Do not think you can play the game with me, Arthur, you will not win."

"Noted."

"Until next time," she nodded down at him and took off towards the door with the pile of papers in the crook of her arm. She left Arthur looking after her, still moderately stunned. He quickly attached the contract to an email to send it on to Gwen; _I won't play the game if you don't._ he quickly typed into the body of it before he clicked 'send'.

Gwen's Blackberry beeped in her bag. She pulled it out to read the incoming message and was greeted by her father at his office door; "And?"

"He'll do," she read the email and smirked. She looked back over her shoulder to see Arthur walking out of the boardroom with his laptop packed in his shoulder bag. He looked over to her as he shut the door and waved curtly at her. She smiled back in acknowledgement, "I've made it very clear that if he's in this to play us then he can get packing."

"But?"

"But I think he's genuinely interested in this."

"Great," Tom beamed and went back into his office.

Gwen tapped her nail on the side of her phone before opening up a reply to his email; _I play to win._

X

_EXT. LEODEGRANCE/PENDRAGON BUILDING SITE – MORNING_

_Workers are hard at work in the Spring sun. The foundations of the building are in and the lower levels are starting to take shape. Merlin, a dark haired builder, holds a plan of the building scrunched in his left hand as he shows around Arthur and Guinevere._

_All are wearing protective head gear; Merlin is otherwise in jeans and t-shirt. Gwen is wearing a trouser suit and heels as well as her hi-vis jacket. Arthur has his shirt sleeve rolled up beneath his._

"So as you can see, work is all going to plan," Merlin said pointing about the site with the papers in his hands. He'd been giving them a tour of what Gwen would call a bombsite for the last half an hour. He had a lot to say but it was all far over her head, "And that pretty concludes our tour."

"All seems to be going well," Gwen said. Merlin seemed to be the sort of person that she could get along with. He was warm and welcoming and didn't come on too strong like other males she knew.

"Modesty isn't something I believe in; it is one of my finer working machines."

"Ignore Merlin, he's an idiot."

"Rather an idiot than a prat," Merlin whispered into Gwen's ear with his back to Arthur as they exited the site, "Work is far from over, but right now it's all going to plan," the reached the edge of the site in silence, "This is where I bid you farewell."

"Thank you for your time, Merlin. Lovely to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Gwen," he smiled at her and shook her hand clumsily before bidding farewell to Arthur with a salute and walking off back towards the build. A young builder bounded up to Merlin, spying that he was now free from the corporates and started animatedly talking to him.

Gwen stood by one of the over-sized work boxes and discarded her hat on it. Arthur approached her from behind and placed his hand on her lower back and leaned in to speak into her ear, "For what it's worth; you look rather fetching in the jacket."

"Really?" she smiled. She spoke through her grin, eyes glinting, "Personally I think it makes you look like a berk."

"Thank you, Guinevere," he too pulled off his hat and hastily pulled off his hi-vis jacket and threw it down on top of the box as well, "How about now?"

Gwen turned and checked him up and down before she spoke, "My mistake. It's not the jacket that makes you look like a berk," she shrugged off of her jacket and made for the exit of the building site. Back to Arthur's car and her more matching black heels than her now dusty purple converse she had bought in order to walk around the building site.

"You weren't the only one who was mistaken. It's not just the jacket," Gwen rolled her eyes as she walked. She wasn't going to dignify him with a response. She got to the car, an overtly huge jeep that she couldn't understand why he needed such a humongous vehicle, but maybe he was over-compensating, "I don't understand you, Guinevere."

"And I'd rather keep it that way."

"We make a good partnership," he said standing opposite her. He waited until the last possible second before he clicked the button to unlock the door, but Gwen waited before she got in, "We should have dinner."

"No," she said with a shake of her head, "We shouldn't," she opened the door to the car and climbed in. Arthur rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth. Why did she have o make things so difficult? Sure, Tom was adamant that his daughter wasn't to be touched with a ten-foot barge pole by anybody within the company and its allies, but Arthur had never been one to play by the rules.

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES OFFICES - DAY_

_Thomas Leodegrance sits in his office with his morning coffee. He is reading through reports. He looks up from his work as Guinevere enters his office with a concerned look on her face._

_He looks at her, studying her face. It's not a look he has seen before. She sits down in the chair opposite him and starts to trace the wood grain with her finger._

Tom studied his daughter's face for a while before he spoke to her, "Gwen?" she didn't look up at him as she continued to trace the lines of he wood with her finger, "Gwen? Sweetheart, are you alright?"

He watched her bite on her lip for a few seconds, considering what it was she wanted to tell him. She didn't even look up at him when she spoke, "I'm not working with Arthur anymore," she said into her shoes.

"You aren't or you won't?" Tom asked sitting back in his seat, his elbows on the arms of his black office chair and linking his fingers he rested his chin.

"I won't. I _can't_."

"Why can't you?"

"It's not working."

"Gwen, this is most successful deal we've ever made. What's not working?"

"We're not," she said simply, knowing it wouldn't be enough to sate Tom's curiosity, "I can't work with him, Dad."

Tom studied his daughters face looking for any sort of tell-tell sign. He knew her, and the way her mind worked. This was one of those faces he had seen before. Just prior to his firing of a client for trying to put the moves on her, "He likes you, doesn't he?"

"No," she denied still playing with the arm of the chair.

"You like him?"

"No!" she looked up at him, a look of utter disgust on her face at the thought.

"Look me in the eye, Gwen, tell me."

"Trust me, Dad, you don't want to know."

"If he's hurt you-"

"Dad, no, he's not done anything."

"Yet?"

"Ever. I just- I see him more as a friend than an associate, and that's not good for business."

"Don't lie to me, Guinevere," she cringed at the use of her full name from his lips, "Tell me the truth. Is this Lance, all over again?"

"Maybe."

"Gwen-"

"I know, Dad, that's why I'm putting an end to it. I'm not working with him any more."

x

_INT. PENDRAGON HOMES OFFICES - DAY_

_Arthur Pendragon walks into the main offices of Pendragon Homes, he is greeted by the receptionist with a warm smile and a flirtatious wave. He smiles back but it continues no further._

_He walks towards his office expecting to find Guinevere Leodegrance sitting waiting for him. To his surprise he finds a brown haired male standing by his window. Arthur frowns and shuts his door purposefully behind him with a loud bang._

The man by the window jumped, turning to look at Arthur, "Who are you?" Arthur asked not moving from near the door. This man certain was a presence standing at a lot more than six-foot. He certainly wasn't the petite, dark brown curly-haired, _female_ person he had been expecting.

"Arthur? I'm Leon Knight, from Leodegrance Industries. I'm here for a meeting?"

"Where's Guinevere?"

"Busy."

"Too busy to make a meeting for her most important job to date?"

"Mr Leodegrance didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Arthur slowly moved his head from side to side, his brow knitted in confusion.

"That Gwen's been posted on other jobs and this project has been delegated."

Arthur's eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second before the realisation hit him, "Excuse me for one second," Leon nodded in agreement.

Arthur left his office again abruptly and pulled his phone from his pocket. After stamping a few buttons he held the device to his ear and paced the corridor until he reached an empty room. He closed the door behind him just as a voice sounded on the other end.

"Hello?" She sounded like she was sat at her desk doing not a lot. She didn't sound stressed or annoyed at being interrupted. So she couldn't be all that busy.

"What are you playing at?" Arthur demanded; he didn't even bother to try and keep the annoyance out of his tone.

"Excuse me?"

"I come to my office to find a tea boy there rather than you."

"Yes, Arthur, didn't Leon tell you? I've got more important things to be doing with my time."

"Like what?" Arthur heatedly replied, pacing the small room he had taken shelter in, "Homeless need an advisor? Local shelter needs more supplies and you're arranging it for them?"

"Oh grow up, Arthur. Leon is more than capable."

"But he's not you," he said suddenly calmer.

"And that's the issue?"

"Yes!"

"That's why we can't work together. Good bye Arthur," she hung up on him without a second thought. The tone sounded harshly in his ear. Arthur clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and ground his teeth.

Suddenly in action, he sprung from the room, making the office boy jump that had been passing the room at the time. Arthur took no heed to him, and carried on down the corridor quickly.

He opened the door of his office abruptly and ducked his head in, "I'm sorry, Leon, to cut this meeting so short, but I have to go. If you rearrange the meeting with Cec on reception, I'll see you tomorrow, if that's okay?" He offered the most polite smile he could manage.

"Certainly. See you then."

"Thanks, sorry again," Arthur left again as quickly as he had appeared, leaving without his jacket or bag only with his phone and keys in his possession.

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – LATER_

_Guinevere sits in her office with two others. Vivian, a young blonde and her agent, Olaf. They are arranging a new campaign deal for one of the many branches that the company have._

_It's all smiles and good news as they all sign the latest contract. It's a good deal but not what Guinevere really wants to be working on. She's lost a bit of her pizzazz._

"Excellent. The first shoot is on the eleventh, details will be emailed through to you later today. Peter Ray's studios will be taking it from here. I'll be at the shoot with you just to make sure it all runs smoothly and to make sure that we get what it is we want. As discussed you will get creative input should you feel the need to give it."

"Indeed. Father can we leave?" Gwen disliked this girl. She was blonde, undoubtedly beautiful but knew it as well. She treated Gwen no better then mess on the bottom of her shoe and she didn't feel a need to censor her boredom.

"Now, now, Vivian, we have to come to these meetings to make sure that you don't get played by these people."

"Mr Leafson, I can assure you, we have no intention of playing your daughter around. You have worked with our company before; you know you can trust us."

Somebody cleared their throat in the doorway, rousing Gwen's attention from the pair before her, "Arthur?" her eyes narrowed at the intrusion. She didn't think he would be this petty about it.

"I'd apologise for interrupting if I were at all sorry."

"I'm sorry for this interruption," she said to her currently clients with an apologetic smile, "Arthur, give me two minutes, then you can throw your toys out of your pram, okay?"

X

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – MOMENTS LATER_

_Guinevere exits her office with Vivian and Olaf in tow. She shakes Olaf's hand and bids them farewell before turning on her heel to look at Arthur with a death glare. He is leaning against the wall beside her office._

Gwen raised her hand and indicated for him to move into her office. It took him a second, but eventually he moved, deciding having the conversation out of earshot of the entire communal office of the call workers was a better idea.

Gwen shut the door behind her and snapped around as she started to berate him, "What are you _doing_ here, Arthur?"

"I came to talk to you."

"I gathered that, why?"

"Because I don't understand why you would give up something so good for deals with models," She studied his expression as her own eyebrows slowly raised. She shook her head and moved behind her desk so it separated them.

"That's because you have a one track mind," she said, sorting the papers on her desk, "I have other deals going down right now, yours was one that merely needs over seeing and I believe my efforts would be better concentrated elsewhere," she looked up at him and shrugged with the papers still in one hand.

"If it merely needs overseeing surely that doesn't take up too much of your time?"

"Why is it so important to you that I'm the one you deal with?"

"Because I don't care about their opinions. I care about yours."

Silence.

Gwen stared at him, taking in his serious expression, the way his hair was ever-so-slightly fluffed up from where he'd been running his hand through it and the way his intense stare wasn't leaving her. It was a good ten seconds before she shook her head as if shaking herself out of her trance like state.

"You're being ridiculous," she turned her attention back to the papers in her heads and shuffled them into separate draws, "The deal is done. It's being built; you don't need me for at least another six months."

"How do you know that?"

Gwen clenched her jaw and trying to smile and failed. She glared at him, "Treat me like you would any other girl without the business deal and drop me fast because we both know it is coming. The second this deal is over I'll never hear from you again. Let's make this as pain free and quick as possible."

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly, gradually approaching the desk and weaving around it to stand with her.

"That's not what I said."

"It's what you meant," slowly, so not to scare her off, he reached out his hand and gently ran his index finger over the back of her hand.

"Arthur-"

"Guinevere."

She looked down at their hands and dry swallowed. Looking back at his face she couldn't focus on him for how close he was to her. Instinctively she licked her lips. Her gaze flicked from his eyes to his lips and back again. With a small smile on his face, Arthur leant down to her, his hand moving up her arm to cup her elbow.

The door opened without a knock, causing Gwen to jump and move away from Arthur in less than a second.

"Sorry to interrupt, Gwen, but your father wants you."

She stood open mouthed, staring until she remembered herself, "Thank you, Leon. I'll be right out," he nodded back at her, briefly greeted Arthur who gave a short wave and left again, "This can't happen."

"Why not?"

"My father would never allow it."

"You're twenty-four years old. I think you can make your own decisions."

"And I decide to abide by my father's wishes. Goodbye Arthur."

x

_INT. GWEN'S APARTMENT – NIGHT_

_Guinevere sits on her sofa with a cup of tea cradled in her hands. Her best friend, Morgana, stands before her with a flipchart. It contains drawings, reasons, quotes, anything she could think of to do with why Guinevere and Arthur should or should not enter into something that could resemble a relationship._

_Guinevere looks lost._

_Morgana is in full swing and doesn't look like she is going to relent any time soon._

Gwen was completely lost and merely nodding when Morgana seemed to need it or the moment seemed appropriate. The words weren't sinking in. She knew she had said something about Arthur being good for her then on the next page contradicted herself and then something about her father.

A persistent buzzing roused Gwen from her confused state. Her Blackberry was flashing next to her.

"It's my Dad," she said holding onto it and staring at the screen with no intent of answering it.

"Well answer it then," Morgana said, abashed at being interrupted from her flow.

"He's angry with me. I don't want to argue over the phone."

"Why is he angry?"

"Because I've stepped down from the most important deal of my career to date," Gwen replied looking from the screen up to Morgana who had crossed the room from her presentation.

"Not because Arthur nearly macked on you?" Gwen rolled her eyes and went back to watching the phone flash at her. Morgana sat on the sofa next to her.

"He doesn't know about that."

"But does he know that's why you've backed down?" Morgana asked, watching her friend intently.

"That's what I'm worried about," Gwen answered truthfully. She didn't mind if her father thought she was being ridiculous by backing out of the deal and giving it as a job for Leon, but if he figured other reasons for her turn around, the whole project was in jeopardy, "He needs to trust Arthur, and if he doesn't he'll find a way of pulling out of the deal."

"Why don't you just work with him then? Doesn't create suspicion and if anything does happen, nobody else has to know."

"The build still has over a year left, I think people might notice if I start any sort of relationship with him."

"Oooh, _relationship_," Morgana teased with a manic grin on his face, "It's a well known fact that any man that goes after you gets the Thomas Leodegrance Scrutiny Treatment, and that you're off limits to clients…"

"Buuuut?"

"But, Arthur isn't a client," Morgana nodded knowingly, "He, the delectable example he is, is a _partner. _He isn't paying you, and you aren't paying him. Thus, not off-limits._"_

"I don't think Dad sees it like that."

"Then _make_ him."

x

_EXT. STREET OUTSIDE PENDRAGON HOMES – AFTERNOON_

_A London cab pulls up to the curb outside of the revolving door._

_Guinevere steps out of the taxi and looks up at the building in front of her. She straightens out her prim office dress and checks her bag for her Blackberry and quickly checks her hair and make-up in a compact mirror before she descends on the building._

_INT. PENDAGON HOMES OFFICE – CONTINUED_

_The lift opens and Guinevere emerges from it, the picture of confidence. She approaches the reception desk and smiles down at Cecilie _

"I'm here to see Arthur Pendragon; I'm his three o'clock."

"Okay, two seconds," the girl smiled up at her and hit a couple of buttons on the intercom system.

"Arthur," his voice crackled to life over the speaker and suddenly the butterflies that had settled in Gwen's stomach burst to life again.

"Your three o'clock is here, sir."

"Excellent, send him through," Gwen smirked to herself, he didn't know. She noticed as Cecilie frowned at the com system but on noticing Gwen mouth 'Don't worry' she didn't have the heart to correct him and allowed Gwen through into the office.

She took one final deep breath before she opened the door to his office and purposefully walked in with her head held high.

"Great timing, Leon, I was just- Guinevere?"

"You were just?"

"Just about to make a fresh coffee, but you would care for a cup of strong breakfast tea and one sugar."

"Yes, thank you," he set his kettle in the corner to boil and turned his attention back to her. He looked her once over and smiled before he returned to his desk chair and back to his work. _Their _work.

"Merlin was asking after you, wanted to make sure you were okay?"

"You can tell Merlin I'm fine. How is the work coming?"

"There was a set back with the roof, but it has all been sorted now."

"I read Leon's report. How is the work force? All in high spirits?"

"So Merlin reports. He is a good project manager, he always ensures that his workers are in the best conditions and are happy at the end of the day."

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Don't worry, Guinevere, you're not the only one who looks out for the people," he smiled at her as he stood, slapping his palms lightly to the desktop. He set out two mugs quickly and filled one with water and threw a tea bag in a little carelessly, the water spitting up and catching his hand – luckily not so hot that it scolded him – and he poured the rest into a readied cafetiere.

"I like to make sure."

"I know you do," he quickly stirred in milk and sugar and lifted the teabag, binning it instantly, "I assume that is why you are back," he said as he handed over the cup to her.

"I realised that as little that is being done at the moment, I need to see it through every step of the way, I can't chop and change as I choose. I need to know everything that is going on and not just through reading reports."

"Well I'm glad you're back."

x

_MONTAGE_

_- Guinevere sits in her office, her Blackberry lights up and she picked it up without looking. She reads the message as she faces her computer screen and smiles and starts to type back._

_- Arthur is relaxing in his office chair when an email pops up on his laptop. He laughs out loud, clicks a few times then starts to type at high speed._

_- Guinevere is in a meeting with her father and a few of the Leodegrance Industries high-flyers. She attempts to ignore the ringing in hr pocket but eventually excuses herself and answers the call._

_- Arthur is in his apartment in casual wear, laughing down the phone._

_- Guinevere opens the door of the London cab she is in and Arthur climbs in beside her. He greets her with a friendly kiss on the cheek._

_INT. LEODEGRANCE/PENDRAGON BUILDING SITE – AFTERNOON_

_Arthur leads Guinevere through the lower floors of the build, showing her the layout of the retail layer or the project. Merlin is on hand for questions. There is still work to be done, but compared to the building site she was used to seeing._

"I wasn't expecting it to be this ready so fast," Gwen marvelled as she looked around at the plastered walls. It wouldn't take long for the painting to be done and the shops to be filled.

"Well the first wave can open once the retail section is completed. To get the housing to get to the most acceptable standard it'll take a good six months, but why lose money on the retail side of it if we can open?" Gwen nodded in agreement, still slightly baffled. He'd always told her that the retail side would be finished first to optimise profit, but she didn't realise it would be so soon.

"There is a lot of tidying up needing to be done outside, though," she frowned and looked towards Merlin with her back to Arthur.

"Another month, maybe two," Merlin inputted, "It's street side as is, it's only the car park for the building that really needs sorting outside once the building work is done. But there isn't much left retail wise."

"Interviews will need to be arranged, do we know how many staff members we'll need?" Arthur asked her clapped a hand onto her shoulder. Gwen leaned back slightly in order to look up at him.

"We? Me," she said with a sweet smile on her face.

"You. _You'll_ need," he lifted his hand from her shoulder and poked her in the side, making her giggle and squirm. She turned around to face him.

"Yes, I do. We'll set up the advertisements. Dad likes to be involved in the process."

"This is our project; surely we should first chair this?" Arthur replied unaware that he was leaning towards her.

"Now, now, Arthur," she replied, rubbing her fingers over his forearm, "Learn to share," Merlin cleared his throat. The pair of them looked over to him.

"Once your lovers tiff is over, could we complete the paper work?"

"Quite right," Arthur also cleared his throat and looked to the floor, scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment as his cheeks flushed slightly, tops of his ears burning pink as well, "after you."

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – MORNING_

_Thomas Leodegrance sits behind his desk reading his morning flourish of emails. His has his morning coffee to his right and a memo from Guinevere about lunch in the French Restaurant on his left._

_There is a knock on the door._

"Come in," Tom called out, looking towards the door with a smile on his face. It dropped the instant he laid eyes on the man who came through the door.

"Mr Leodegrance, one presumes?"

"Mr Pendragon," Tom's jaw set, "How can I help you?"

"I well know your stance on your daughter's involvement with her business peers. But did you ever think she would be the one playing the game?"

"Excuse me?"

"My son is at the top of his game, he does not need common riffraff bringing him to the ground. If she puts one finger out of line, this deal is off."

"I can assure you, Pendragon, that my daughter is not common riffraff. If your son's game is dropping, that isn't under my control. But as far as I am aware, this deal couldn't be going better."

"Then you are a fool."

"We shall see. Both company's reputations are on the line. Understand me clearly when I tell you the only reason I accepted the deal is because Guinevere was adamant she was going to make the deal work. Had it been my choice I would have sent your son packing a long time ago. I trust my daughter's judgement. If she trusts your son, as she seems to, then I trust him. _If_ my daughter is playing the game then that is her doing and I will do what I see fit to the deal. In the mean time, please stop loitering in my office."

x

_INT. FRENCH RESTAURANT – LUNCH_

_Arthur and Guinevere are sat waiting for Guinevere's father on the same small table they met at nine months previously. Guinevere is laughing at something Arthur just said, leaning toward him as the table in her laughter._

_Thomas Leodegrance enters the restaurant and is greeted by the waiter; he waves him off pointing towards the table and heads over towards them. As he gets closer he sees that they both have their hands towards the centre of the table. Not quite touching._

Tom cleared his throat as he approached the table. Arthur turned and stood from his chair and held out his hand to take Tom's in his own, "Great to see you again, Tom."

"Likewise, Arthur," he looked between the pair of them and smiled pleasantly before leaning down and kissing Gwen on the cheek by way of greeting. She budged along the sofa seat and allowed her father to sit beside her and opposite Arthur.

Their conversation picked up again across Tom, almost as if he wasn't there. They planned interviews and the like with such vivacity that he couldn't find a point in which he could express his own opinions. They were a good team.

Tom really could not see where it was the senior Pendragon was coming from. Their children worked together like the clogs in a clock.

He watched Gwen as she laughed again as Arthur tried some lame attempt at a joke.

He had never missed the way they worked so well together, or the occasional look that lasted too long, or the smile on Gwen's face as she spoke about the deal. But he'd turned a blind eye to it all in the name of all her hard work.

The last time she had cohered with one of their work employees, it hadn't ended well. Her relationship with Lance had thrown her off of her perfect game. The guy had used her position of power in order to work his own way into the firm's high ropes. Tom had caught it and had him thrown out on his backside and since warned off any possible suitors that emerged from business.

But this Arthur, he really made her smile. Their partnership went much deeper than business alone and thing is, Tom didn't know if they knew it or not.

x

_INT. GUINEVERE'S APARTMENT – NIGHT_

_Guinevere is sat watching TV with Morgana who is giving her own running commentary on events for her own amusement._

_The doorbell rings. Neither of them is expecting anyone so Guinevere stands to answer the door._

_Thomas Leodegrance has come to see his daughter. It is a personal matter and something he thinks is best handled at home._

Gwen opened the door with a smile on her face. She hadn't been expecting her father to be stood on the other side, but it made sense and she wasn't expecting anybody else, "Dad? Come in."

"Evening, sweetheart."

"What's wrong? You seem down?" He followed her into the kitchen in order to grasp a little of the privacy from her room mate.

"Down? No. Confused would be the word."

"What about?" Her brow knitted.

"You."

"Me?"

"And Arthur."

"And _Arthur_?"

"Cause for concern," _No_, her eyes widened. She hadn't realised that they hadn't been anything but appropriate at lunch the day before. And nothing had happened. They were professional, they worked on the job to get it done and that was all.

"Dad?"

"He likes you," he stated simply.

"Yes, Dad, we work well together," she said in attempt to cover herself.

"_You_ like _him_."

"This isn't a playground, Dad."

"No. But, if he makes you happy-"

"Dad?"

"-Go for it. Don't let me hold you back."

"Thanks Dad."

"I've though about this long and hard, and the days of me interfering are over. And if you think about it, he's more of a partner than a client anyway," Gwen laughed, her father echoing what Morgana had used as the main reason to attempt to convince him should push come to shove.

"Yeah, I suppose he is."

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – EVENING_

_The offices are empty with a lone office light on streaming into the main room. Voices can be heard as well as laughter._

_Guinevere is sat behind her desk at her desktop computer. Arthur has pulled up a chair beside her with his laptop opened next to her. Both of them gave up on work a long time ago, having been trying to wind up all their thoughts and feelings on the interviewees they had seen during the course of the afternoon._

Arthur sat with his ankle balanced on his opposite knee. He laughed as Gwen finished explaining about the time she had been entered into a talent contest – one of her father's many ideas on how to build her confidence – and she had span so many times she had fallen of the edge of the stage. At the time she'd cried, but looking back she could hardly get the words out for laughing.

When their laughter died down Arthur looked down at his Rolex; "Bloody hell, when did eight happen?"

Gwen hastily checked her own watch and gaped, "Crickey. No wonder I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

"But now my stomach is groaning."

"Is that your way of telling me you would like to go to dinner?"

"Is that your way of asking me out?"

"Maybe. Did it work?"

"Let's go," Arthur grinned and shut down his laptop, packing it into his satchel. Gwen picked up the pile of CVs for the potential staff they were interviewing tomorrow. She knocked the pile as she grabbed at it, dislodging the top sheets. She caught the name of the person and she dry-swallowed.

_Lance Du Lac_

"Fuck," she said beneath her breath before quickly gathering up the papers and shoving them towards Arthur to add to his satchel.

"You okay?"

"Fine," she replied offering him a weak smile.

"Sure?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They up and left the office, heading towards the lift. Arthur hit the button and it opened quickly. They stepped in unison, Gwen hitting the button for the ground floor and holding on to her own hands in front of her.

Arthur, not so discreetly, watched Gwen as she looked up at the numbers that were slowly descending above the door. The corner of his mouth twitched and he gently reached out his hand and prized his fingers between her hands and claimed her left in his right which she willingly gave when she realised his move.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Why don't I believe you?" she turned to face him and planted a warm smile on her face.

"Because you like to worry," he leant towards her to kiss her when the lift doors pinged open. Gwen jumped unexpectedly, her grip on Arthur's hand loosened, only to have him tighten his wrap around hers.

x

_EXT. FRENCH RESTARANT – NIGHT_

_The roads are nearly empty, with a few taxis and cars running down them. Arthur and Guinevere emerge from the French Restaurant, he holds the door for her and follows her out._

_She hugs her coat to her in attempt to warm up. Arthur noticed this and slips his arm around her shoulder, he gently rubs his hand over her arm and presses a light kiss to her hair._

_She hails a taxi with a subtle wave of her hand and it pulls over._

Gwen turned around beneath Arthur's arm to face him and chastely kissed him on the lips before he could respond. He caught her by the hand before she could turn away to the taxi. She laughed as he stooped his head and kissed her more firmly. He could feel her smile and he saw it as he pulled away.

Gwen pulled on his lapels and reconnected her lips to his with a larger vigour than before, her hand latching into the hairs at the nape of his neck.

The horn of the taxi blared beside them. Gwen sheepishly cleared her throat as she pulled away from him and looked over to the man in the driver's seat; "Any time today, love."

"It's okay, I'll take her home," the taxi driver scoffed and said something about 'bloody time wasters' as he pulled away with a screech of his tyres, "Car's this way."

"Thanks, Arthur."

"Any time. I'm parked down by the office."

"The office? _My _ office."

"_The_ office."

"But you don't work for me."

"But I _do_ work _with_ you."

x

_INT. GUINEVERE'S APARTMENT – NIGHT_

_Guinevere enters her apartment and slumps against the door and lets out a long sigh before she takes off her coat and throws her bag on the table in the doorway._

_She pulls off her work jacket and wanders towards the lounge. Morgana is sat on the sofa watching the television working out from the comfort of the cushions. She waves at Guinevere and continues._

"You look positively perplexed," Morgana said as she raised her legs again in time to the music and the instructor on the screen.

"Long day," Morgana frowned and slowed her movements before she suddenly declared herself tired and turned off the television with the remote.

"Something's wrong. You have that look. The look that says 'I'm-completely-in-love-with-this-guy-but-my-ex-just-turned-up-and-will-ruin-everything', um-hmm."

"You scare me."

"But I'm right."

"Yeah."

"Tell me _everything_," Morgana ordered, patting the sofa next to her for Gwen to sit down.

"Arthur's unwittingly arranged an interview with Lance."

"Lance? Du Lac?"

"Yeah. I saw his CV in the pile earlier."

"And your question is: 'What do I do?'"

"Exactly."

"You have to tell him, Gwen. He'll respect you more if you tell him the truth," Morgana stated rationally. Gwen sighed and looked intently at her hands.

"But how do I even attempt to bring it up?"

"Do it how you do things best; just blurt it."

"Thanks," Gwen replied dryly with a hint of a smile on her face.

"Any time. Now, time for tea."

"What have you got?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, "What are you making?"

x

_INT. LEODEGRANCE NDUSTRIES – MORNING_

_Guinevere is pacing in her office waiting for Arthur to appear so they can go down a floor to start the interviews for the managerial slot at the new development. She has a pen in her hands and is hitting it against her leg as she waits._

_Her door is already open so she doesn't notice that Arthur has appeared until he speaks out. She jumps and turned to face him, dropping her pen on the floor. She bends to pick it up._

Gwen knew his eyes on firmly on her. She'd been waiting for him for the last fifteen minutes; he wasn't late she was just early and her mind had been completely pre-occupied with one name. Why had she left Arthur in command of deciding who to shortlist?

She looked at herself as she stood back up, pen in her hand. She noticed just how long cut her shirt really was. As she stood she readjusted her shirt and looked over at Arthur.

"Bend and snap?"

"What?" Gwen's eyebrow raised I question.

"Beeeeend and snap!" Arthur mimicked to no avail, "No?" Gwen shook her head, "What kind of girl are you?"

"An uneducated one, obviously," she snapped back, catching Arthur by surprise.

"What's up with you? You've been acting funny since last night."

"Don't be mad at me," she started, only serving to worry Arthur more.

He pushed her office door to and approached her, reaching out his hand to move a stray curl out of her face, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"Did you not recognise a single name on the list of CVs?" she asked, looking at him past his hand that still hovered by her cheek.

"No, why?"

"Lance Du Lac?"

"No. Who's- oh," his hand dropped from beside her face and back to his side.

"Oh," Gwen reiterated, put out by his sudden lack in affection.

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault," she admitted. She had told him the full story of Lance and why her father was so protective of her and controlling of her relationships. She thought she owed it to him before they entered into anything. They hadn't even defined whatever it was they had. There was hand holding and a few kisses, but as of yet that was it.

"Why would he apply for a job working for you?" he asked looking genuinely confused. It hadn't ended well, why would he want to come back to it?

"I don't know."

"Right, well if you don't want to interview him I can do it on my own."

"And let him win? I don't think so."

Arthur really didn't believe it would be a good idea, but he knew he would never win against her and her own stubbornness – the only rival of his own – and he caved, "Come on then, else we'll be late."

_x_

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – LATER_

_Lance Du Lac sits in the corridor outside the office where the interviews are taking place. He doesn't look nervous, he looks positively confident if a little cocky._

_The door opens and Arthur bids farewell to the previous lady before he looks down at his clipboard and up to Lance with a forced smile on his face. He welcomes Lance and ushers him into the office._

_Guinevere is sat behind the desk and looks up with a smile on her face. She doesn't want to let him know that she's nervous and would rather bury her head in the sand than be there._

"Mr Du Lac it's nice to see you," Gwen greeted shaking his hand as he offered it to her. She didn't grip his hand for long, withdrawing quicker than necessary.

"You too, Miss Leodegrance."

"You assume that is still my name?"

"No ring," he pointed out.

Arthur watched the pairs exchange and his jaw clenched. He snapped the clipboard down onto the top of the desk and tried his hardest to be polite, "Let's get down to business shall we? It is, after all, an interview not a social catch up."

"Of course," Lance replied diplomatically and settled into the seat opposite them ready for any questions they could throw his way.

"First things first, Lance, why do you want this job?"

"I'm a team player," Gwen tried her hardest not to scoff. He'd never been much of a team player before, sure time changed a man but her level of trust hindered her ideal of him, "I'm good at running a sooth operation."

"As I have witnessed in the past, Mr Du Lac. But that didn't work out in my favour last time. Tell me why I should trust you now when you abused it in the past."

"I am a changed man, Guinevere. One chance is all I ask for."

"But you aren't just asking her, are you? It's not just Guine_vere_ that you have to talk around. There is me as well and she's told me all about you."

"What is he your boyfriend or something? What has our past got to do with you?"

"It's my business on the line as well. Anything that will damage that is my business."

"Why bother interviewing me if you weren't going to give me the job based on my past with Gwen?"

"I didn't know you were that Lance when I offered you the interview."

"So you're saying you wouldn't have if you'd known."

"I would have been more prepared for it. Your CV is impressive, Mr Du Lac, but your general persona and the way you are presenting yourself right now is not. We've given you the benefit of the doubt, now wow us."

They spent the next ten minutes conducting the interview like any other; something in Arthur refused to be impressed by him. He pinned it down to his overbearing personality and need to impress Gwen. He contemplated for a second that he was threatened, but he ridded himself of that notion straight away.

"Well, thank you very much, Mr Du Lac, we'll be in touch," Arthur concluded, offering his hand to shake.

"It's a pleasure," he replied taking Arthur's hand. The blonde gripped his rival's appendage tightly, too tight to be polite, and shook it in equal vigour, "Nice to see you again, Guinevere," he said pulling his hand from Arthur's and reaching out to rest his hand on her shoulder and gently kissing her on both cheeks.

"You too, Lance," she said finally with a hint of distain her voice.

"We should catch up some time, you've got my number," she didn't respond, but he didn't give her much of a chance as he disappeared from the office under the cantankerous glare that Arthur had been sending his way.

Once the door way shut again Gwen let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding, "Don't," she said before Arthur cold say anything.

"I didn't-"

"Just don't."

X

_INT. LEODEGRANCE INDUSTRIES – AFTERNOON_

_Arthur and Guinevere are sat discussing the interviewees that they saw that morning. Some have been immediately discarded and won't be considered. But there is one that goes unmentioned._

_Lancelot's CV and interview review is sitting at the bottom of the pile. Guinevere put it there deliberately._

_They are sat on opposite sides of the desk, rarely making eye contact with each other as they speak. Guinevere discards the latest CV and notes; they have reached the bottom of the pile but she doesn't speak._

"You aren't going to mention him, are you?" Arthur piped up after an awkward silence had taken them. He glared at the notes page that remained empty about his girlfriend's past flame. She didn't want to talk about him. He wasn't having the ob did they need to go into more detail than that?

"I wasn't planning on it. I put him in the past, I'm not bringing him into my future. End of conversation."

"No, not end of conversation, because if he was really in your past you wouldn't care."

"I can't pretend he didn't hurt me, Arthur. I loved him and he tore me into pieces. I can't ignore that and if you are planning on hiring him-"

"I'm not-"

"Then leave it be. I don't want to talk about it. He doesn't make the short list. The end," She snapped. Arthur didn't want to push her or the point too far. He didn't want her relieving things that hurt her and he didn't want to be the cause of anything that hurt her.

"Sorry," he said clearly, looking straight at her. She met his look instantaneously.

"Sorry," she repeated, "I just don't want to know. Today was hard enough; I don't want him in my life. He'd try and make things complicated and I don't need that. Before you say it, I'm not confused. I'm not going anywhere. I just don't want him in my life."

"So he's not a threat?"

"He's not a threat. Promise."

X

_EXT. PENDRAGON/LEODEGRANCE BUILDING – AFTERNOON_

_It's six months later and the final stages of the building are ready to be opened. An oversized ribbon hangs across the entrance door to the flats and Arthur Pendragon and Guinevere Leodegrance stand in front of it with a small podium in front of them._

_Thomas Leodegrance stands behind them, the proud boss and father. This is his daughter's project, it's not his limelight to have._

_Arthur steps up to the microphone to address the small crowd of people around. He's got his speech notes in one hand and Guinevere's hand clutched in his others away from the view of the crowd._

"I'd like to start by thanking you for coming today. The first part of this project opened not long ago just around the corner, but it all started well over a year ago when I walked into Leodegrance Industries and convinced Tom that this was a good idea. So here we are," he indicated the building behind him and looked down at Gwen with a grin on his face, "Our first endeavour as two companies and becoming one. Nobody thought this would work, well we've proven them wrong."

"We'd like to thank all those who worked on the building and all those who have worked behind the scenes with myself and Arthur back in the office. Everybody who has contributed to this project is highly valued. So thank you," Gwen inputted.

"Without further ado, we'd like to declare this building liveable-in," he laughed at himself and handed a pair of comically sized scissors to Gwen.

In front of a few cameras she cut the ribbon and stood aside letting in journalists and embers of their staff that were yet to look around at what their efforts had produced. Tom followed them in talking animatedly to one of the journalists.

"Yo, Gwen," she turned to see Morgana standing in front of the podium, "Good work."

"Thanks."

"You too Arthur," he smiled back at her and spotted Merlin coming up beside her, in his most formal clothing he had seen the builder in.

"Morgana meet Merlin. Merlin meet Morgana. Perhaps you would show her around?" Arthur said as subtle as always. Merlin grinned at Gwen's best friend and led her into his now finished project.

"Obvious much?" Gwen laughed, finally alone she didn't hesitate to turn to him and kiss him.

"Well I wanted some alone time with my girlfriend."

"With this over we'll get a lot of that."

"Kick back with a film and a cup of tea?"

"Sounds like heaven, but first we must meet, greet and bullshit our way through this afternoon."

"Damn," they both smiled at each other. Arthur leant into her and pressed his lips to hers three times in quick and smooth succession, "Bullshitting awaits," he moaned dragging her into their project with an unfailing smile.


End file.
